Wave shaping diode network



Dec. 28, 1965 P, s. BENGSTON WAVE SHAPING DIODE NETWORK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 4-, 1960 i s P BY ATTY Dec. 28, 1965 P. s. BENGSTON 3,226,578

WAVE SHAPING DIODE NETWORK Original Filed March 4. 1960 2 heets-She 2 Fig. 2a

F:g.2b F F INVENTOR. RS.Bengs1on BY "V W ATTY.

United States Patent 6 Claims. (Cl. 307107) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 12,876, filed March 4, 1960.

This invention relates to a non-linear wave shaping circuit and more particularly to a hyperbolic generator.

The unique hyperbolic generator consists of a plurality of exponential networks. Each of the networks has a different potential initially applied thereto which is stored. After the applied potential is removed the stored voltages will decay exponentially so that at first only one of the networks will be discharging. After the voltage stored in the first network has been sufficiently reduced, the second network will start to decay and the process continues from one network to another. In this way, an output signal is derived that is directly proportional to the amplitude of the applied signal and inversely proportional to the frequency thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a unique wave shaping circuit.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the fol owing detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of the data sampler; and

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate voltage waveforms that appear in the circuits.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 wherein a detailed circuit diagram of a data sampler is illustrated. Pulse shaper 22 is of identical configuration to pulse shaper 18, described and explained in my copending application, Serial No. 12,876, filed March 4, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 3,158,845.

One shot multivibrator 23 comprises tubes 93 and 101. Secondary winding 83 is connected to the anode of tube 93 by way of condenser 88 and diode 89 and to the grid of tube 105 by resistor 114. The anode and grid of tube 93 are connected to battery 74 by resistors 91 and 92, respectively, while the resistors 94 and 95 connect the grid and cathode, respectively, of that tube to negative supply 75. Resistor 87 connects diode 89 and capacitor 88 to a tap on battery 74 to limit the current flow through tube 93. The anode of tube 93 is connected to the grid of tube 101 by condenser 96 and the cathodes of these tubes are connected together. The grid and anode of tube 101 are connected to the tap on battery '74 by resistors 97 and 98, respectively.

The output of the one shot multivibrator 23 is fed from the anode of tube 101 to gate 25 by resistor 99. The gate comprises diode 103 connected to the grid of tube 102. Diode 103 is also connected to terminal 73 which is the output terminal of the reference sampler. The cathode of tube 102 is directly connected to hyperbolic generator 26.

The hyperbolic generator or waveshaper contains a voltage divider having resistors 115-119 connected between the cathode of tube 102 and ground. Diode 113 connects the cathode of tube 102 to load resistor 121.

The wave shaper comprises a plurality of networks made up of a pair of series connected diodes such as 122 and 123. Capacitors 131-134 are connected between the respective diodes and ground. Each of the networks is connected to a tap on the voltage divider, i.e. between adjacent resistors thereof and resistor 121.

The sampling circuit 24 contains capacitors 104 and 110 which are connected in parallel with resistor 121 and are also connected to the anode of tube 105. Diode 107 is connected to the cathode of tube which is also connected to storage capacitor 111. The cathode of triode 105 is connected directly to the grid of tube 106. The output of the data sampler is taken between cathode resistors 108 and 109 at terminal 112.

The operation of the data sampler 24 will now be explained in detail. Square waves obtained from a data signal are applied to terminal 76 of shaper 22 which produces wave train 147 of FIG. 2a. produced by shaper 22 renders tube 105 conductive so the charge stored on capacitors 104 and 110 is transferred to capacitor 111. The negative pulse produced by sampler 22 is coupled to the anode of triode 93 and the grid of triode 101 and causes tube 101 to cutoff and tube 93 to conduct heavily. Of course, it is understood the positive pulse will not affect tubes 93 and 101. Tube 93 will continue to conduct after the pulse has subsided and will remain conducting until the voltage on the grid of tube 101 has risen sufiiciently to render that tube conductive. When tube 101 is conducting a constant voltage is applied to the grid of triode 102. When the pulse is produced the anode voltage of tube 101 is increased to the potential of the tap on battery 74. This increase in voltage limits the input of tube 102 to the voltage on terminal 73.

The pulse output of triode 102 is applied to capacitors 131-134 through diodes 122-126, respectively, Because of the voltage divider composed of resistors 119 the largest voltage is applied to capacitor 131 and successively smaller voltages are applied to the other capacitors and stored by them. When the pulse is removed capacitor 131 will begin to discharge through diode 123 and resistor 121. Initially the other capacitors will not discharge because the voltage on the anodes of diodes 127-129 will be greater than on the cathodes thereto, i.e. equal to the voltage across capacitor 131. As the voltage across 131 decreases it will become equal to that stored on capacitor 132 and diode 127 will be rendered conductive. This operation continues for the networks associated with capaictors 133 and 134 so that the output on load resistor 121 is a hyperbolic function, i.e. the voltage decreases inversely with time. Of course it is understood that any other suitable function can be obtained by the use of this type of network by properly choosing the component values. Also, the accuracy of such a generator increases with the number of networks employed.

The output of hyperbolic generator, FIG. 2b, waveform 149 is fed to sampler 24. The construction and functioning of sampler 24 is similar to that of sampler 21. However, since a decreasing voltage is applied to sampler 24 the plate capacitor thereof is connected to the input and the storage or output capacitor is connected to the cathode of triode 105. When the voltage across capacitors 104 and 110 becomes less than the potential stored on capacitor 111, diode 107 conducts causing the potential across capacitor 11 to follow any decrease that is less than the value of the previously stored signal, as shown by waveform 151 in FIG. 2c. The voltage on the cathode of triode 105 is fed into cathode follower 106 resulting in a direct voltage varying in amplitude in accordance with the frequency of the data signal.

Obviously many modifications of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is The positive pulse- 3 understood that any desired number of channels can be recorded on tape 11.- When the number of channels is altered, the corresponding number of data samplers and a pen recorder having the appropriate number of output channels must be employed. If desired, one of the data channels may also contain a timing signal. Of course the batteries may be replaced by any suitable power supply. It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that numerous modifications or alterations of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appened claims. I What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A wave shaping network comprising common, input, and output terminals, a voltage divider having a plurality of taps connected between said input and common terminals,a diode connected between said input and said output terminals, a pair of series connected diodes connected between each of said taps and said output terminal, and a capacitor connected between said pair of diodes and said common terminal.

2. A wave shaping network comprising common, input and output terminals; a plurality of resistors serially connected between saidinput and common terminals; a plurality of circuits each comprising a first terminal connected between adjacent resistors of said plurality of 'resistors, a plurality of series connected diodes connected between said first and output terminals, and a capacitor connected between said diodes and said third terminal.

3. A wave shaping circuit comprising common, input and output terminals, a voltage divider having a plurality of taps thereon and connected between said common and input terminals, a plurality of' diodes series connected between a tap on said divider and said output terminal, and a capacitor connected between said diodes and said common terminal.

4. The circuit of clan-n 3 wherein another diode is connected between said input and output terminals.

5. A wave shaping circuit comprising common, input and output terminals; a first diode connected between said input and output terminals; a plurality of resistors serially connected between said input and common terminals, a plurality of circuits, each comprising a first terminal connected between a pair of adjacent resistors of said plurality of resistors, a pair of series connected diodes connected between said first terminal and said output terminal, and a capacitor having one terminal connected to said common terminal and the other terminal thereof connected between said pair of diodes.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein all of said diodes are connected to allow current flow in the same direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,008,076 11/1961 MacDonald. 3,064,240 11/1962 Kalfaian.

MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WAVE SHAPING NETWORK COMPRISING COMMON, INPUT, AND OUTPUT TERMINALS, A VOLTAGE DIVIDER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TAPS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT AND COMMON TERMINALS, A DIODE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS, A PAIR OF SERIES CONNECTED DIODES CONNECTED BETWEEN EACH OF SAID TAP AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL, 